After seven seasons at the Parramatta Eels, New Zealand international Dylan Brown's time at the club will come to a close at the end of the season as he will join the Newcastle Knights.
His departure means that the Eels will need to prepare for life without him and will produce a new halves combination next season and beyond as they aim to reach the NRL Grand Final for the first time since 2022.
Zero Tackle takes a look at ten realistic options that Jason Ryles and the Eels could choose to replace the New Zealand international playmaker and could pair up with NSW Blues and Australian Kangaroos halfback Mitchell Moses.
All the players on the list are either without a contract for next season, will hit the open market on November 1, have been linked with the club or rival teams, have an 'NRL clause' in their contract, or are currently playing at the Eels.
The options include five rival NRL players, three Super League playmakers who have taken their game to new heights after moving overseas following stints in the NRL competition and two individuals currently involved in the Parramatta Eels system.
4Bevan French (Wigan Warriors)
The second of two options the Eels could target from the Super League is a former playmaker of the club and current Wigan Warriors star Bevan French, who has led Wigan to back-to-back Super League titles.
The 2023 Man of Steel - the Super League equivalent to NRL's Dally M Medal - French has taken his game to new heights after transitioning from the outside backs to the halves and has regularly been linked with a return to the NRL.
This saw him lead Wigan to become the first team to win the quadruple overseas. He also has a history with the Eels, having played 47 games and scoring 140 points with them from 2016-18.
“I came over here with the goal of wanting to get back to the NRL one day", French said via NRL.com last year.
“It's important, you've got to - I guess - pick the right timing as well. If you do go back, it's sort of your last shot so everything's got to fall into place, the way you want it to, to be able to do that."
Although French inked a four-year extension with Wigan last year, he could very well find himself back in the NRL before the expiration of his contract and was even linked with a move to both the Newcastle Knights and St George Illawarra Dragons in the past.
While it is unknown if he has an 'NRL Clause' in his contract, the Eels could still potentially secure his services but would need to pay a significant transfer fee in which Brown's freed-up salary could help them afford French.
"He's one of those players that you can't coach against because you don't know what he is going to do. He would be a sensation if he came back," Immortal Andrew Johns said.
